The League of Scribes: Interview With Debbie Brown

Welcome to The League of Scribes!

Each week, The L. Palmer Chronicles unites the Galactic Unicorns of Cosmological Awesomeness to open up a portal through the universe to bring you a member of The League of Scribes.

The League of Scribes is a legendary group of authors who write grand adventures in the realms of science fiction and fantasy. They are able to write rich, compelling stories while keeping content in the PG –PG-13 range.

If you have been on a quest to find clean sci-fi and fantasy novels, you have reached the right place.

This week, we present :

Debbie Brown

About the Author:

All her life, Debbie has spun stories in her mind, watching characters come to life, seemingly by themselves. After working as a nurse, a teacher, a martial arts instructor, an artist, and CIC officer in the Canadian military, not to mention her many hobbies from woodworking to auto mechanics, and piloting to holistic medicine, her life reads like a story itself. And yet, her favorite thing is still a cozy fire, a good book, and country living with her husband JP and three of her five children. After graduating from the Institute of Children’s Literature’s advanced writing course, she is finally devoting herself to writing these stories down, taking us all on a ride we won’t quickly forget.

Debbie Brown’s Work:

Amethyst Eyes is the story of a fifteen-year-old boy who goes from living in the Rocky Mountains with his mother, to life in space with his estranged alien father after the death of his mother. Dealing with the grief of his loss is only part of the teen’s trials, as he is paired up with Jayden, an unsympathetic teen, to help his integration into a world he never knew existed. Having to learn how everything works, from the shower to the rules of his new society, being accepted by his peers and forming a bond with his father seem overwhelming, to say the least.

The story continues three years later in Amethyst Eyes book 2. Emma, to Begin Again tells the story of Tommy’s parents and how he came to be, so it can be seen as either a stand-alone or the prequel to Amethyst Eyes.

Who would love your books?

Amethyst Eyes touches on loss, coming of age, peers and fitting in, family, finding yourself and much more, so there is something for everyone, woven into an adventure.

My youngest reviewer was 10 when he read Amethyst Eyes, and he declared that Tommy was his ‘most favorite main-character ever’. On the other hand, I have had many adults read and enjoy my books, some said they identified more with the younger characters, while others were drawn to the adults in the story. Keeping this in mind, I believe the books are good for all ages.

What was the inspiration for your latest book/series?

The inspiration for the Amethyst Eyes series came after the death of my beautiful baby girl. I turned to writing to keep sane, but not to share my story. I needed to create a world where people cared about people.

When I sat down to write the story, the scenes came to life and I hurried to put them to paper, afraid I’d lose the magic that was unfolding before me.

If a movie of your book were made, what movie(s) would it be most similar too?

I tried really, really hard to come up with something to compare it with…and drew a blank. Even those who have read the stories admit they thought it was going to be just like X or expected this and that to happen, only to find out that they were way off. So can we say that it is kind of unique?

Do you use music while writing? If so, what music do you use? Is there a theme song for your book?

I prefer to write in total silence….though with the dogs and kids and life going on all around…music would only add to the chaos. (I love Country music, calm and relaxing music, old Rock ‘n Roll as well as Classical music from my days in an orchestra, and I have to mention my love of Christmas music).

What authors or books inspire you most?

I have never been able to answer that question because I love to read so many different books that there is not one author or book that stands alone.

If you were called in as an impartial ambassador in a war between ninjas and pirates, how would you create a peace treaty?

Ha! I would have to listen carefully to both sides and see if there was a common ground to stand on amidst the conflict. Going from there, it would be necessary to build an agreement from this ‘neutral’ ground. Clear rules, and although Pirates are notorious for being lying thieves, they do follow their code, as do Ninja’s, even if they started out as hired assassins.

When did you decide to be a professional writer?

It might be more accurate to say I decided to write. I was taking a writing course with the Institute of Children’s Literature after my loss and wrote Amethyst Eyes alongside my course studies. The course prepared us to submit articles for publication, and my instructor encouraged me to do the same with my novel.

Are you a planner, a discovery writer, or a hybrid?

By nature, I let the creative energy flow. I do not write mysteries, so I do not have to plot out my storyline, although I did learn how through the advanced writing course I took. In all honesty, and to the best of my ability to describe my process, I reread the last few lines or pages to get back into the story. Once I’m ‘in the zone’, the story comes alive and I find myself to be an observer as it plays out. I never took typing in school, and we didn’t have computer classes, so my typing skills are not that good, which leaves me to try and type as fast as the scene plays out.

I do like to make sure my facts are accurate, and I have logged so many hours of research, that I must be in the thousand hour range. Even the technology I share in Amethyst Eyes, I made sure the technology was plausible. For Example, although they use a “transporter” to beam on and off the ship, here, today on earth, we have only managed to transport a molecule…but it’s a start!

Are you traditionally or independently published? Why did you choose this path?

I turned down both an agent and a traditional publisher for Amethyst Eyes and went with assisted publishing. That lasted 2 years, and I switched the book over to Ravenswood Publishing, to where Rebirth and Emma were. I was there in the beginning of the company’s dawn as an indie publishing house, and I am proud to say it’s coming along!

As for why I chose assisted publishing…when I was offered a publishing contract, the man who contacted me said it’d be another 12-18 months before the book came out, and then he added in a whisper, “Although it’s more like 24 months, lately.” So I turned them down. I needed to complete the cycle. I needed to hold my book in my hand as part of my healing. So I went with the assisted publishing. (Which is pretty much Indie, but you pay a lot for every service).

What is your number one piece of advice for aspiring writers?

Write. Read a lot of everything, and write. You cannot become a published author if you have not written anything down. After that, read and reread your work. Once that is done, have someone else read it. Now don’t take their criticism personally, consider it. Before you are ready to begin submitting your work for publication (or before you self-publish) HAVE IT EDITED. You cannot undo a bad reputation as easily as you can ruin a good one.

My last piece of advice, is build your author platform. No one will show up at your doorstep asking for a book if they don’t even know you exist or have written a book.

Where do your books fall on the Rating Scale of PG to PG-13 Content (1 = How To Train Your Dragon, 8 = The Dark Knight, 10 = borderline R-rating).

My books are clean. I am not a fan of anything over the top in the PG ratings.

What would you choose as your magical/technological steed, vehicle, or other mode of transportation?

You know it’s going to be a transporter! How awesome to be anywhere in the blink of an eye. Tropical beach for lunch, then back home to throw a couple of logs on the fire while it snows outside….perfect!

To explore the worlds Debbie Brown has created, check out the books below:

One thought on “The League of Scribes: Interview With Debbie Brown”

I love the answer to the last question. I never thought about a transporter and being at a tropical beach and then a snowy area. Man, oh man, that’s a lot of amazing possibilities. She’s really beginning to sway my opinion on having a dragon as the best form of transport. Transporter…cocktail at lunch in Aruba then back home to work…hmmm….